The need for vertically lifting heavy or bulky loads and transporting them over long distances has far outgrown conventional devices whereby these loads may be raised from the ground, placed on vehicles, and moved to new sites. This is particularly true where lack of roads makes such operations very difficult or very expensive; for example, removing trees from forests to bring them to a logging site or to a sawmill. Other important uses include hauling cargo between ship and shore, moving large structures such as bridge segments, and transporting houses and other buildings, manufactured in factories, to specific sites.